Liquid Courage
by TheSouthernScribe
Summary: Liquid Courage: How Bonnie Bennett finally kissed Jeremy Gilbert. Oneshot written for the holiday fic gift exchange at the Ben Jerry's LJ Comm.


_Oneshot written for the Ben_Jerry's fic exchange on livejournal_

**_Liquid Courage: How Bonnie Bennett Finally Kissed Jeremy Gilbert_**

Tyler brought the car to a stop beside the curb, before looking in the mirror above his head. On occasion during the short ride from his house to their final destination a misplaced laugh would drift from the back to the front seat. He had two hot girls in his car and neither one of them was concerned about him. One was lost in memories of the boyfriend's heart she'd broken and the other, well the other, was lusting after someone who had always been his nemesis. What the hell, was he losing his touch? He stepped from the car, opened the door, and helped the two beauties from the leather seats. There was stumbling, which caused another round of riotous laughter. They were ruining his buzz. He could have more fun on a full moon and that was saying a lot.

The three trespassers disappeared into the shrubs and trees that barricaded the home from the street; the girls tripping over rocks and cursing sticks that littered the ground. He was really too old for this shit. The green – eyed goddess spoke and he remembered it was those eyes and that half smile that got him in this situation.

"Get me from here to there."

Bonnie pointed to the only window of the Gilbert home illuminated by light. She swayed a little on her feet nearly falling backwards to the ground before Tyler steadied her movements with his firm grasp.

He shot a glare in the direction of his assistant, accomplice, and friend for the evening, "Caro, you shouldn't have given her that last shot of tequila."

Caroline shrugged before staggering in the general vicinity of where Bonnie and Tyler stood, "Look, liquid courage was needed, or else she'd still be crying and whining about missed chances and all that other shit."

How in the world had he ended up outside of Jeremy Gilbert's window with a drunken vampire and witch? He moved to pick Bonnie up and sling her over his shoulder when the light went out in the window and Bonnie began to hop around like a caffeine addict in need of a fix. Without another thought he gripped the petite witch by the waist and lunged for a tree. It didn't take long for them to reach the top branch.

"B…"

"Just throw me that – a – way."

Her speech was slurred but she was determined and he admired that.

"Bonnie B, this is Gilbert…Jeremy _muthaflubbin' _Gilbert…you're going to lose like ten cool points for this."

Bonnie delivered a drunken punch to his shoulder and they slipped to the branch below them. Tyler's body cushioned their short plunge and the girl's giggle quickly became infectious.

He lifted their bodies back to where they started and carefully directed her trembling form towards the window, magic and bravery did the rest.

_**xOxO**_

When Bonnie collapsed on the floor beside Jeremy's bed, she shushed the Chuck Taylor and Hollister jeans that met her once she'd descended to the ground. His breaths were steady. Her impromptu entry hadn't interrupted his sleep. She crawled to the bed where he slept, a sketch pad and pencil clutched in his hands. Even in the darkness she recognized the face on the page. It belonged to her. She didn't think she was that pretty. She would have to think him for being sweet and making her asymmetrical features perfectly symmetrical.

Unfortunately she would probably never see his creation, since they weren't speaking. He avoided her like the plague following the night of her fear laced let down. She'd wanted to kiss him in the kitchen. She'd thought about telling him that no the attraction wasn't one sided, but she couldn't risk losing something or someone else that meant a lot to her. She was toxic. Everything turned to ash around her. Besides, she knew it was a total rebound. He hadn't had time to heal from Vicki's death or the ultimate loss she'd caused - Anna.

Just like that, all the courage that came from talking to Caroline and sharing a bottle of Patron was gone. She sulked as she staked out a path to the window. She was a deviant, breaking and entering, for what – to tell a boy she liked him. Thought that maybe she could _lov…_

"Bonnie?"

His breathy tenor broke through her liquored up haze.

"Yeah, it's me."

She faced him, going for charm and bubbly cuteness to ease her way out of the uncomfortable situation. Her eyes immediately fell to patch of skin visible where his tee rode up. His jeans were unzipped and she could see the band of his boxers and the thin layer of hair that pointed southward. She closed her eyes, willing her heart to steady.

"You okay."

He was too close, filling her nose with his scent; she could smell the coal he'd used to outline the picture he'd drawn, there was a faint trace of Polo black left on his skin, and something else she recognized but couldn't name.

Jeremy reached for Bonnie and she stepped back avoiding his touch.

"I'm fine – I'm sorry – I don't know why I'm here."

She rambled and covered her mouth, praying for a mint to miraculously appear.

"Are you drunk?"

She scrunched her thumb and forefinger together, "Just a lil' bit."

Jeremy moved closer and there was no where for her to go, when her back met the wall and his hands landed on either side of her head. He lowered his gaze and she was sure he noticed her heart trying to break free of her chest. She hated when he looked at her like that. It made it impossible to deny what she felt.

"You haven't said a word to me in over a week and now you break into my room in the middle of the night…what's up Bonnie?"

She countered, slightly angry, and little empowered from her surging emotions.

"You haven't said a word to me either. You ignore me."

He laughed, moving closer, she loved his eyes, "That's what you think? I gave you space. If it's Luka you want…"

Bonnie attempted to push Jeremy away and her efforts proved useless, "I don't want Luka." She ducked under his arm, "Forget it…"

His hand circled her wrist and his thumb brushed the inside of her palm, "_Who_ do you want Bonnie?"

She knew words would fail her, so Bonnie did the next best thing; slowly she walked to him, smiling slyly at their difference in height, before lifting her frame up on the tip of her toes and pressing her lips to his.

"You – I want you."

This time Bonnie didn't move when Jeremy leaned forward and leveled a chaste kiss to the mouth that waited in quiet anticipation. She didn't even care that Caroline had broken out in full cheer mode on the ground below, despite Tyler's efforts to drag her back to the car.

Crime paid and the night was sheer perfection.


End file.
